空气质量评价体系升级

The Ministry of Environmental Protection began gauging public opinion on revised air quality standards on Wednesday, Xinhua reported.

据新华社报道，国家环保部周三开始就新的《环境空气质量标准》征求公众意见。

The new standards will, for the first time, include readings of concentrations less than PM2.5 (particulate matters smaller than 2.5 micrometers), a major cause of haze harmful to health, the ministry said in a statement.

新标准首次将有害健康的灰霾“元凶”——PM2.5（直径小于2.5微米的颗粒物）纳入常规空气质量评价体系。

Along with the new standards, the country's existing Air Pollution Index will also be upgraded into the Air Quality Index. This will follow international practices to include ozone and carbon monoxide pollution levels as well as PM2.5.

新标准将目前我国采用的空气污染指数升级为空气质量指数，并依照国际惯例，将臭氧、一氧化碳、PM2.5都纳入评价体系。

Tighter rules will also be set for some pollutants already monitored, such as nitrogen oxides and PM10 (particulate matters smaller than 10 micrometers).

另外，新标准还收紧了PM10、氮氧化物等已检测污染物标准的限值。

The average yearly ceiling for PM2.5 concentrations is set at 35 micrograms per cubic meter while the limit for any one day is set at 75, according to the ministry.

PM2.5年均和24小时平均浓度限值分别定为0.035毫克/立方米和0.075毫克/立方米。

The ministry plans to adopt the new standards nationally by 2016.

环保部表示，新标准拟于2016年全面实施。